Residents Planning Own Trips for Upcoming National Day Holidays

A majority of residents are planning to do self guided trips for the upcoming seven day National Day holidays as prices of package tours are starting to increase in anticipation of the holiday. Tour prices to popular destinations especially overseas have increase because of the recently released national tourism law.

The law is set to take effect on October 1 restricts travel agencies and tour guides from asking or requiring tourist to purchase items at designated souvenir shops. The tourism law was intended to protect tourist from unexpected and excessive charges on trips, which placed and end to zero charge package tours. Travel agencies usually charge low and zero fees for package tours then make money by forcing tourists to buy items at these shops. Thus travel agencies have increased prices for package tours as a response to the new law.

A seven day trip to Thailand costs around 5,000 yuan but will be increase to 7,000 yuan during the holidays. Also some domestic airlines have reduced its ticket prices by 10 percent which further encouraged doing their own self guided trips. While other residents are still asking travel agencies to book flights and hotels for them in planning self guided trips since travel agencies usually have discounts in booking hotels and flights.

Some residents are having travel agencies book flights and hotels for them, and then planning a partially self-guided trip. Travel agencies often can acquire big discounts when booking flights and hotels. Also applications for travel permits to Taiwan are delayed due to the large number of applications submitted.

Packages tour prices will go up once the new law is implemented so many of the residents are taking advantage of tour prices at low prices.